Olympic Games 2012: North West

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what he expects the legacy of the 2012 Olympics will be for the North West region; and if he will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: The north-west stands to gain from the wide range of opportunities created by the 2012 games, through businesses winning games-related work, increased tourism and cultural celebrations.
	52 of the Olympic Delivery Authority's suppliers are businesses registered in the north-west, and more are winning work in the supply chains of its contractors.
	The Old Trafford football stadium will be one of the key non-London venues, hosting football matches, and along with Pre-Games Training Camps will provide an opportunity to create further economic benefits, including inward investment, through the international attention that will follow. 68 facilities in the region are included in the official London 2012 Pre-Games Training Camp Guide, and to date memoranda of understandings are in place with 17 of the Oceania National Olympic Committees, the National Olympic Committee of Thailand and Australia's swimming team, formalising their intentions to use facilities in the region in the run up to the games.
	There are 85 games-inspired projects in the north-west which have been awarded the Inspire Mark and during 2012, as part of the UK-wide cultural celebrations, there will be live sites' in Manchester and Liverpool. Additionally, there are several cultural legacy projects in the north-west of which, 'WE PLAY' is one. It combines digital, physical and virtual participation opportunities for people from all walks of life.

Sports Commission

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he has taken to create a Sports Commission; and if he will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: We are currently working with Sport England, UK Sport and the Youth Sport Trust on options to bring them together under one roof, while retaining the focus on their individual roles and responsibilities. In addition, the Secretary of State has instigated a series of cross-departmental meetings to discuss Sport and Olympic related issues, for example School Sport and Olympic Security.
	We will be looking at plans for a more formal arrangement, based on the Australian Sports Commission, in due course.

Afghanistan and Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many serving soldiers have sustained injuries while on active service in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan.

Liam Fox: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) regularly publishes the casualty and fatality statistics on the MOD website. Between 7 October 2001 to 15 May 2010 in Afghanistan, 376 UK personnel sustained a Very Serious Injury or Serious Injury. From 1 January 2003 to 31 July 2009 in Iraq, 222 UK personnel sustained a Very Serious Injury or Serious Injury.
	The figures can be found on the MOD website at the following links:
	The Iraq (Op Telic) casualty tables up to 31 July 2009:
	http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/7E86BD05-D4FF-4677-97 AA-CCFBDCFE4E34/0/optelic_31jul09.pdf
	The Afghanistan (Op HERRICK) Casualty Tables up to 15 May 2010:
	http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/F4FDB0FC-28CB-4133-B615-D7A4E7C77F97/0/opherrickcasualtytablesto 15may2010.pdf

Afghanistan and Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he plans to take to enable the Afghan government to increase its authority in Helmand and Kandahar.

Liam Fox: UK forces, alongside Afghan and International Security and Assistance Force allies, will continue to clear the insurgent presence from central Helmand, holding the ground gained to enable governance and socio-economic development to continue. Election shuras have been well-attended, indicating that locals feel secure enough to engage with the Afghan Government in large numbers.
	In Kandahar, the UK will continue to support the Afghan Government-led initiative to better connect governance in Kandahar city with its citizens; to listen and respond to their needs; and to deliver to them improved security, governance, and economic opportunities.

Afghanistan and Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to reduce numbers of British casualties in Afghanistan.

Liam Fox: We take the protection of our armed forces very seriously, strive to reduce the risk they face and improve their protection. The best force protection involves using a range of equipment, combined with the right training and tactics. The combined effect of our continuous improvements to equipment, better tactics and ongoing research, together with a greater number of helicopter flying hours, and the deployment of a Counter-Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) Task Force, contribute to managing the threat our troops face.
	The biggest challenge we face is the threat from IEDs. On 10 June, the Prime Minister announced that we will spend an additional £67 million on countering the IED threat. This will include more protected vehicles for use by our C-IED teams, more Remote Control Vehicles, and enhancing our military working dog capability. This investment, together with enhancements that have already been made to our IED equipment, training and other capabilities will continue to make a difference.

Afghanistan: Police

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information his Department holds on the proportion of members of the Afghan police force in Helmand province who are of each ethnicity.

Liam Fox: The ethnicity of members of the Afghan National Police is a matter for the Government of Afghanistan. The Ministry of Defence does not hold data on the ethnicity of the Afghan National Police in Helmand.

Departmental Flags

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on flying the Union flag each day from each official building for which his Department is responsible.

Andrew Robathan: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport issues guidance for the flying of the Union flag on UK Government buildings. The guidance encourages the Union flag to be flown 365 days a year, and as a minimum all Departments must fly the Union flag on the 19 special designated days including the Queen's birthday and Remembrance Day and other special occasions as required such as the State Opening of Parliament. More information on the guidance is available on the DCMS website
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/honours/7124.aspx
	The Ministry of Defence's main building in Whitehall flies the Union flag every day and it is our policy to fly the Union flag as often as possible from all our buildings capable of doing so.

HMS Sultan

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service families based at HMS Sultan School of Navy Engineering are living in married quarters in Gosport constituency.

Andrew Robathan: The number of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties in the Gosport constituency is 1,026, of which 840 are currently occupied by Service families.
	SFA is not reserved for specified units but entitled Service families are usually accommodated within 10 miles of their permanent duty station. Therefore, personnel based at HMS Sultan are likely to be accommodated across the wider Portsmouth area.

World War II: Military Decorations

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review his Department's policy on the wearing of Atlantic Star medals in order to authorise Arctic Convoy veterans of World War II to attach the Arctic Convoy emblems recently presented to them to such medals for wearing in public.

Andrew Robathan: I have no plans to do so.
	The Atlantic Star is the medal that recognises Service on the Arctic Convoys. The Arctic Emblem marks the nation's gratitude to those who served on the Convoys for the severe conditions that they faced, but it is a lapel badge and not a medal, a clasp to a medal, bar or rosette. Therefore, it would be inappropriate to wear the Emblem on the medal ribbon of the Atlantic Star.
	However, the Arctic Emblem may be worn on the lapel, or above the breast pocket, either on occasions when it is appropriate to wear medals, or on its own with either formal or informal dress.

Carbon Emissions: Business

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of UK-listed companies which reported on their greenhouse gas emissions under his Department's guidance in the financial year 2009-10.

James Paice: I have been asked to reply.
	We encourage companies to publicly disclose their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions using the DEFRA/Department of Energy and Climate Change 'Guidance on How to Measure and Report Your Greenhouse Gas Emissions', published in October 2009. As this guidance was published mid-year we do not expect that the majority of companies will have adjusted their reporting to make use of the guidance for the financial year 2009-10. No estimate has been made so far of the number or proportion of UK-listed companies using this guidance during this period. However, we expect preliminary information to become available in autumn 2010.

Sellafield

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what arrangements are made physically to segregate fissile nuclear material held under international safeguards from non-safeguarded fissile material at the Sellafield reprocessing plant.

Charles Hendry: The Government announced in April 1995 that the UK had ceased production of fissile material for explosives purposes. As part of the 1998 Strategic Defence Review, it was announced that future reprocessing would be conducted under safeguards. The only non-safeguarded nuclear material on the Sellafield nuclear licensed site is that relevant to the naval propulsion programme, which is segregated and held in different locations to safeguarded material. There is also non-safeguarded nuclear material on the Windscale nuclear licensed site in Pile 1, which is undergoing decommissioning, and in another building which holds material from the naval propulsion programme. This nuclear material is also segregated from safeguarded material.

Water Power

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what new plans he has to increase electricity generation from marine sources.

Gregory Barker: The Government are committed to measures to support marine energy technologies. We are currently considering in detail how we progress this, including the role which marine energy parks may be able to play in helping the sector move forward towards commercial deployment.
	The Government are currently considering the evidence base from the two year Severn Tidal Power Feasibility Study and expects to make a decision shortly. Other organisations are investigating the feasibility of tidal range power in a number of other bays and estuaries around the UK, including the Mersey and Solway.

Fishing Catches

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the  (a) volume and  (b) monetary value of fish stocks landed by the UK fleet in each year since 2005.

Richard Benyon: The Marine Management Organisation's (MMO; previously the Marine Fisheries Agency (MFA)) annual "Sea Fisheries Statistics" publication covers the volume and value of all landings, broken down by species, into the UK.
	Data for 2005 to 2008 inclusive is available in the MFA's 2008 edition which was placed in the Library of the House.
	Provisional data for 2009 is available from the MMO's website:
	www.marinemanagement.org.uk
	at:
	www.marinemanagement.org.uk/fisheries/statistics/documents/monthly/2009/december.pdf.
	The MMO will publish the final figures in the 2009 edition in September.

Livestock: Transport

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will bring forward proposals to abolish the six-day rule relating to auction marts.

James Paice: The Government have no plans to abolish the six day standstill rule. Standstills confer real benefits by reducing the speed at which undetected disease can spread. Research has shown that the length of time between disease entering the country and its detection is the biggest single factor in determining the size, and hence the cost, of disease outbreaks.

Mackerel: Conservation

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to protect mackerel stocks in UK waters.

Richard Benyon: Sustainable management of the mackerel stock is extremely important. DEFRA officials are fully involved in the ongoing negotiations involving the European Union, Norway, Iceland, Faroe Islands and the Russian Federation. The most recent round of negotiations took place at the headquarters of the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission in London on 28 to 30 May.
	Unfortunately, it was not possible for all the parties to come to an agreement on the management of the stock at that meeting, but efforts will continue to reach an agreement in the coming months.
	I also intend to raise this issue, and stress its importance, when I meet with the European Commissioner, Maria Damanaki, in the near future.

Rural Areas: Broadband

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, on delivering fast-speed broadband in rural areas; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: The Secretary of State has both written to, and spoken with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to express her personal support for the initiatives outlined in his speech of 8 June 2010 to take broadband to rural communities. Enabling investment in new high speed broadband connections is a priority for the Government, and DEFRA officials will continue to work with their counterparts in DCMS and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to implement these initiatives.

Water Abstraction

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has for amending or retracting water abstraction licences.

Richard Benyon: All abstraction licences are assessed through the Environment Agency's Catchment Abstraction Management Strategies.
	Licences identified as potentially impacting the environment undergo further analysis in the Environment Agency's Restoring Sustainable Abstraction Programme.
	Currently, the Environment Agency has 377 open schemes within this programme, covering 638 abstraction licences.
	Restoration solutions can include licence changes as well as in river modifications.

Water Companies: Regulation

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will bring forward proposals for legislation on regulation of the water industry, including competition, metering and water efficiency.

Richard Benyon: The Government's coalition statement said that we will examine the conclusions of the Cave and Walker Reviews, and reform the water industry to ensure more efficient use of water and the protection of poorer households.

Allied Health Professions

Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the work of his Department's Physician's Assistants scheme; and whether he expects the scheme to continue.

Anne Milton: Skills for Health, in their role as the Sector Skills Council for the United Kingdom health sector, have been supporting employers to develop new roles such as the physicians' assistant. The role of physicians' assistant has been particularly successful in London and the west midlands and Skills for Health are sharing this good practice with employers in other areas so that they can consider whether to introduce this new role into their work force.
	Given the length of time that the physicians' assistants have been in post, there has been no national evaluation of the role. However, there is to be a formal review of the Competence and Curriculum Framework later this year.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Health Services

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease National Strategy is expected to be  (a) completed and  (b) implemented in practice.

Simon Burns: The Department is currently reviewing the 117 responses received to its consultation on a strategy for services for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in England, and is expecting to make further announcements once the review process has concluded.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Health Services

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS spent on treatment of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: The Department publishes best estimates of the totality of its expenditure split by Programme budget on the Department's website at:
	http://collections.europarchive.org/tna/20100509080731/http://dh.gov.uk/en/Managingyourorganisation/Financeandplanning/Programmebudgeting/DH_075743
	Programme budgeting expenditure at England level is calculated using data from the Department accounts, arm's length bodies within the resource accounting boundary, primary care trusts and strategic health authorities.
	The figures for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease fall under Programme Budgeting Category (PBC) Code 11A: Problems of the Respiratory System: Obstructive Airways Disease as shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Gross expenditure 
			  £000 
			  PBC code  Programme budgeting category  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 11 Problems of the Respiratory System 3,072,258 3,468,754 3,539,634 3,802,489 4,247,083 
			 11A Problems of Respiratory System-Obstructive Airways Disease - - 576,008 592,646 698,132 
			 11B Problems of the Respiratory System-Asthma - - 849,076 967,101 1,035,384 
			 11X Problems of the Respiratory System-Other - - 2,114,551 2,242,742 2,513,568 
		
	
	As the underlying data is subject to yearly changes, the figures should be treated with caution when drawing any conclusions on changes in spending patterns between years. Also, the PBC figures for disease specific expenditure do not include expenditure on prevention, or general practitioner expenditure, but do include prescribing expenditure. Some expenditure on obstructive airways disease may also be included in the "other" category due to problems with miscoding and difficulties with providing a definitive clinical diagnosis for all patients.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Health Services

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Simon Burns: The most recent data for 2008-09 published by the NHS Information Centre for health and social care shows a total of 834,312 patients were counted on general practitioner practice chronic obstructive pulmonary disease registers as part of the Quality and Outcomes Framework for England.

Departmental Flags

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on flying the Union flag each day from each official building for which his Department is responsible.

Simon Burns: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport issues guidance for the flying of the Union flag on United Kingdom Government buildings. The guidance encourages the Union flag to be flown 365 days a year, and as a minimum all Departments must fly the Union on 19 special designated days, e.g. Queen's birthday, Remembrance Day, etc., and other special occasions as required, e.g. State Opening of Parliament.
	The Department of Health flies the Union flag at its official headquarters building, Richmond House in Whitehall 365 days of the year.

Departmental Manpower

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) front line and  (b) other staff were employed by (i) his Department and (ii) each of its agencies in the latest year for which figures are available; and what his most recent estimate is of the annual cost to the public purse of employing staff of each type at each of those bodies.

Simon Burns: The Department does not employ front-line staff. Its Executive Agency, the Medicines Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), has defined some front-line staff in its core public health operating functions of medicines licensing, pharmacovigilance, inspections, enforcement and its various devices functions as frontline.
	As at 31 March 2009, the core Department employed 2,630 whole time equivalent civil servants. As at 31 March 2009, the MHRA employed 901 whole time equivalent civil servants. According to its definitions, the MHRA employs 366 front-line whole time equivalent civil servants and 535 'other', whole time equivalent civil servants.
	The cost of the core Department's paybill during the 2009-10 financial year was £151.9 million. The MHRA has estimated the annual cost to the public purse of the MHRA employing staff of each type during the 2009-10 financial year was £19.3 million for front-line staff and £33.2 million for 'other' staff.
	Since 31 March 2010 there has been only one Executive Agency of the Department: the MHRA.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which Ministers in his Department have been issued with  (a) a Blackberry,  (b) an iPhone,  (c) another make of mobile telephone and  (d) a personal digital assistant supplied by the Department.

Simon Burns: The only mobile telecoms or personal digital assistant devices that have been issued to Ministers of the Department are BlackBerry devices. These have been provided to Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Anne Milton) and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Earl Howe). The Department does not issue Apple iPhones to staff as these are not approved for Government use by the CESG. CESG is the Information Assurance arm of GCHQ which aims to protect and promote the vital interests of the United Kingdom by providing advice and assistance on the security of communications and electronic data.

General Practitioners

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what mechanism the relationship between GP commissioning and the commissioning of services by primary care trusts are managed.

Simon Burns: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him on 8 June 2010,  Official Report, column 112W, and to the hon. Member for St Ives (Andrew George) on 2 June 2010,  Official Report, column 41W.

Gosport War Memorial Hospital

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the operational status is of the Oncology Clinic at Gosport War Memorial Hospital.

Paul Burstow: This information is not held centrally. However, the Department is informed by the South Central Strategic Health Authority (SHA) that Hampshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) has temporarily suspended the oncology clinic at Gosport War Memorial Hospital due to staff shortages. The PCT aims to reinstate the sessions as soon as possible. The PCT has assured the Department that its overriding responsibility for patient safety is maintained at all times. The hon. Member may wish to contact South Central SHA for further information.

Hospitals: Food

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines are in place for the provision of hospital meals to patients with  (a) kosher,  (b) halal,  (c) vegetarian,  (d) vegan and  (e) other dietary requirements.

Simon Burns: The Department does not provide specific guidelines about provision of these types of meals. However, the Care Quality Commission's publication, "Essential Standards of Quality and Safety"(1) sets out standards of quality that patients have a right to expect in hospital, including those relating to food. In meeting such standards, it requires providers who comply with the regulations(2) to provide choices of food and drink for people to meet their diverse needs, making sure it is nutritionally balanced and supports their health. In particular, patients should have a choice for each meal that takes account of their individual preferences and needs, including religious and cultural requirements.
	Menus are devised and managed by hospital trusts locally. Trusts' catering functions have access to professional advice from hospital dieticians. In addition, information and good practice illustrations about delivering specific meals types are available to the national health service through a range of guidance material, in particular, via the Hospital Caterers Association website(3), which accommodates the 'dish selector' guidance and other detailed support to the local NHS.
	(1) Published by The Care Quality Commission March 2010.
	(2) The guidance relates to providers of services that carry "regulated activities". These are defined in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2009.
	(3) www.hospitalcaterers.org/better-hospital-food/

NHS: Working Hours

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to introduce proposals to mitigate the effect on the NHS of the European working time directive; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State supports the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills in taking a robust approach to future negotiations on the revision of the directive including maintenance of the opt out.
	We will not go back to the past with tired doctors working excessive hours, but the way the directive is now applied is clearly unsatisfactory and is causing great problems for health services across Europe. We therefore support efforts to resolve these issues and stand ready to work with the European Commission and other member states on radical and creative approaches to gain additional flexibilities.

Petitions

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Leader of the House when he plans to announce mechanisms by which the public may submit petitions to this House for debate.

George Young: The Government will bring forward new proposals for the public to engage with the House by submitting petitions which will be eligible for debate if they obtain 100,000 signatures, with the petition which attracts the most signatures triggering an opportunity for a Bill to be presented. We will also bring forward proposals for a new public reading stage of Government Bills.
	There is clear scope for these proposals to be taken forward together, and in cooperation with the House's wider work on public engagement, in order to ensure that they are implemented in a way that is consistent, coherent and cost-effective.
	The final decision about the appropriate mechanism will rest with the House itself and I hope to be able to bring forward proposals soon.

Corruption: Public Service

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Prime Minister whether he plans to appoint an International Anti-Corruption Champion.

David Cameron: The Government and relevant Departments place anti-corruption in all international dealings at the centre of its strategies. I have appointed the Lord Chancellor my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke) as the Government's International Anti-Corruption Champion to take forward the Government's efforts in this area.

North East

David Anderson: To ask the Prime Minister when he next plans to visit the North East; and if he will make a statement.

David Cameron: I hope to make visits across the United Kingdom over the coming months.

Regional Planning and Development: West Midlands

Richard Burden: To ask the Prime Minister which Secretary of State is responsible for responding to the Second and Third Reports of the West Midlands Regional Committee of Session 2009-10, HC 421 and HC 528; and when he expects those responses to be made.

David Cameron: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government is responsible for responding to these reports.

Devolution

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will announce a timetable for implementation of the proposals of the Commission on Scottish Devolution.

Michael Moore: The coalition Government's commitment to the implementation the recommendations in the Calman Report was clearly signalled by its inclusion within the coalition agreement. This was further underlined by the inclusion in the Queen's Speech of a commitment for legislation in the First Session.
	I am clear that we need to make early progress to meet this commitment and I have asked my officials to work for autumn introduction of a Bill to take forward those recommendations that require legislation. Work will continue on the non-legislative recommendations to a similar timetable.

Public Expenditure

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his most recent estimate is of the level of per capita public expenditure in Scotland in 2010-11.

Michael Moore: HM Treasury's Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses provides the most recent estimate for public expenditure per capita in Scotland for 2010-11, but this does not include local authority spending. The most recent estimate for 2010-11 stands at £7,127 per capita.

Departmental Flags

Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on flying the Union flag each day from each official building for which his Department is responsible.

Justine Greening: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport issues guidance for the flying of the Union flag on UK Government buildings. The guidance encourages the Union flag to be flown 365 days a year, and as a minimum all Departments must fly the Union on the 19 special designated days (e.g. Queen's birthday, Remembrance Day, etc), and other special occasions as required (e.g. State Opening of Parliament).
	More information on the guidance is available online at:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/honours/7124.aspx
	HM Treasury has three buildings throughout England in which this guidance is followed.

Office for Budget Responsibility

Chris Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the annual running costs of the Office of Budget Responsibility.

Justine Greening: The interim Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is funded from within HM Treasury's existing departmental budget.
	Sir Alan Budd, as Chair of the Budget Responsibility Committee, will be advising the Chancellor on the arrangements for the permanent OBR. The annual running costs of the office will depend on decisions on the basis of this advice.

Tax Avoidance and Evasion

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to reduce the level of tax  (a) avoidance and  (b) evasion; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: The Government are committed to tackling tax avoidance and evasion, and will bring forward measures where necessary in future Budget and pre-Budget Reports to address these risks.
	HMRC set out its compliance strategy and the approach to reducing tax gaps in 'Protecting Tax Revenues 2009' , available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/pbr2009/protect-tax-revenue-5450.pdf

Future Jobs Fund

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many young people have found employment as a result of the future jobs fund in  (a) the west midlands and  (b) Coventry.

Chris Grayling: The latest Official Statistics covering the period October 2009 to January 2010 show that 790 young people in the West Midlands have started future jobs fund jobs. Information for Coventry is not available.

Future Jobs Fund

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment has been made of the effects of his plans for ending the future jobs fund on levels of unemployment of young people.

Chris Grayling: The Future Jobs Fund has not ended. It will continue to create jobs until March 2011 and create up to 111,000 jobs in that time. Based on evidence from previous job creation schemes, it is unlikely that there will be any discernible impact on youth unemployment as a result of the Fund ending.

Future Jobs Fund

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the likely level of savings arising from the ending of the Future Jobs Fund; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The closure of the Future Jobs Fund to new bids will save £290 million in the 2010-11 financial year.
	We will make further efficiencies by improving the grant management process introduced by the previous Government. This will ensure that overpayments are recovered promptly and that providers deliver the jobs on time.

Unemployment

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on reducing levels of unemployment.

Iain Duncan Smith: One of our top priorities is to reduce the number of people-nearly five million-on incapacity, lone parent or jobseekers benefits.
	We will reform the benefits system to make work pay, reassess the position of people on incapacity benefit and introduce the Work Programme, a single, integrated package of support, to give people the personalised support they need to find work.

Early Intervention

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on measures to promote early intervention.

Iain Duncan Smith: I have had regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Education, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and other colleagues about measures to promote early intervention and its impact on childhood disadvantage. We will set out our strategy to tackle child poverty by March 2011.
	We look forward to working with colleagues and stakeholders to ensure that tackling poverty and disadvantage in the most effective ways are a priority at every level of Government and that all parts of society play their part in achieving our goal. The establishment of the Social Justice Committee will ensure that we take a joined-up approach across Government.

Benefits

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he plans to take to increase take-up of benefits.

Steve Webb: Latest estimates of take-up of all income-related benefits in 2008-09 were published on 10 June 2010. The figures show that there was £38.1 billion claimed across all income-related benefits representing between around 75% and 85% take-up by expenditure. Expenditure take up by pensioners was between 71% and 81%. The Take-Up report is available online at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/irb.asp
	We want to make sure that everyone is getting all of the help that they are entitled to. Our aim is to simplify the benefit system and as a first step we will be looking to conduct a research study into the feasibility of using existing data to make automatic awards of pension credit.

Departmental Manpower

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many full-time equivalent staff at each Civil Service grade are employed in the private office of each Minister in his Department.

Chris Grayling: The following full-time equivalent staff were recruited by the previous Administration to work within each Ministers private office as follows;
	
		
			   Number 
			  Secretary of State  
			 SCS 1 
			 G7 2 
			 SEO 0 
			 HEO 4 
			 EO 1 
			   
			  Minister of State for Employment  
			 SCS 0 
			 G7 1 
			 SEO 1 
			 HEO 4 
			 EO 1 
			   
			  Minister of State for Pensions  
			 SCS 0 
			 G7 1 
			 SEO 0 
			 HEO 3 
			 EO 1 
			   
			  Minister for Disabled People  
			 SCS 0 
			 G7 1 
			 SEO 0 
			 HEO 1 
			 EO 3 
			   
			  Lords Minister-Minister for Welfare Reform  
			 SCS 0 
			 G7 1 
			 SEO 0 
			 HEO 1 
			 EO 3 
			   
			  Temporary staff (interns)  
			 EO 5 
			 Total 5

Future Jobs Fund: West Midlands

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in  (a) Dudley North,  (b) the Borough of Dudley and  (c) the West Midlands have been placed into employment through the Future Jobs Fund.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available.

Future Jobs Fund: Wigan

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people resident in  (a) Wigan constituency and  (b) Wigan local authority area are participating in the Future Jobs Fund.

Chris Grayling: This information requested is not available.

Incapacity Benefit

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to  (a) commence and  (b) complete the reassessment of those in receipt of incapacity benefit; and what recent changes to this timetable there have been.

Chris Grayling: The process of moving incapacity benefit recipients onto a more active benefit regime and giving them the support they need is a serious priority. We will be doing everything to complete this process as quickly as possible, while ensuring the most vulnerable are supported appropriately.
	We will be testing and learning from a small scale trial, which will run from October 2010. Full migration will begin in early 2011. We expect it to be completed over three years. There have been no recent changes to this timetable.

Incapacity Benefit

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the timetable is for the Government's planned re-assessment of all current claimants of incapacity benefit for their readiness to work; and whether any targets have been set for the number of people to be removed from incapacity benefit through this re-assessment.

Chris Grayling: We will be testing and learning from a small scale trial which will run from October 2010. Full migration will not begin until April 2011. We expect it to be completed in 2014.
	All claimants will be removed from incapacity benefits. No targets have been set regarding which benefit claimants will be placed. They will be moved onto either Employment and Support Allowance or other benefits appropriate to their circumstances.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to publish a response to the accessing compensation consultation; and what steps the Government plans to take to ensure that people who are injured or made ill by their work obtain the compensation to which they are entitled.

Chris Grayling: The public consultation closed on 5 May 2010. We are currently considering the replies we received and we will publish our response to the consultation in due course.

Industrial Health and Safety: North East

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many industrial health and safety incidents were reported to the Health and Safety Executive in the North East in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: HSE collects data on workplace health and safety incidents through the RIDDOR reporting system (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations). HSE routinely collates injury data at a regional level for reported workplace injuries. Data is also collected on reported dangerous occurrences and gas safety incidents.
	Available figures for the North East, for incidents reported to HSE, are provided in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of reported injuries  Number of reported dangerous occurrences  Number of reported flammable gas incidents  Number of reported dangerous gas fittings 
			 2001-02 6,914 174 12 278 
			 2002-03 6,687 144 10 110 
			 2003-04 6,985 175 5 204 
			 2004-05 6,236 143 5 171 
			 2005-06 6,080 205 3 142 
			 2006-07 6,176 176 2 157 
			 2007-08 5,709 188 11 233 
			 2008-09(1) 5,835 158 13 163 
			 (1) Provisional.

Jobseeker's Allowance: North East

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his most recent estimate is of the amount which will be paid out in jobseeker's allowance over the next  (a) 12,  (b) 24 and  (c) 36 months in (i) the North East and (ii) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available.

Social Fund

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to review the benefits of which those making an application for assistance under the Social Fund must be in receipt prior to submitting their application.

Steve Webb: The social fund comprises of certain regulated payments and discretionary grants and loans. Access to the social fund is usually dependent on receipt of a qualifying benefit. Qualifying benefits are specified income-related benefits and, for certain payments, tax credits. Crisis loans can be paid to people on and off benefit.
	We currently have no plans to make any changes but will be keeping eligibility for the social fund under continuous review.

State Retirement Pensions

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in the UK are in receipt of the state pension.

Steve Webb: As at November 2009, there were 11,312,350 State Pension recipients in Great Britain. Information regarding Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Office.
	 Note:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	 Source:
	DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study

Unemployment Benefits: Pendle

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people of working age in Pendle  (a) are in receipt of out-of-work benefits and  (b) have been in receipt of such benefits for at least nine of the last 10 years.

Chris Grayling: The most recent available information on those people in receipt of out of work benefits is in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of claimants in receipt of out of work benefits in Great Britain (GB) and abroad, and the Pendle parliamentary constituency as at November 2009 
			   GB and abroad  Pendle 
			 All 4,998,790 8,740 
			 JSA 1,469,920 2,040 
			 IB/SDA/ESA 2,658,880 5,510 
			 IS 869,990 1,190 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Benefits are arranged hierarchically and claimants are assigned to the topmost benefit which they receive. 3. JSA-claimant of Jobseeker's Allowance. 4. IB/SDA/ESA-claimant of Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disablement Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance. 5. IS-income Support claimants include lone parents and those not included in the IB/SDA figure.  Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study Information on those who have been in receipt of out of work benefits for at least nine of the last 10 years is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Firearms

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many  (a) firearm registrations and  (b) gun-related crimes there were in 2008-09;
	(2)  if she will take steps to ensure that the eligibility criteria for a shotgun certificate are brought into line with that for a firearm certificate so that a justification for ownership is required to be provided at the time of application;
	(3)  if she will bring forward proposals to reduce the period of time for which a firearm ownership certificate is valid;
	(4)  what assessment she has made of the merits of a limit on the number of firearms that can be owned under one firearms certificate.

James Brokenshire: I refer to the statement given by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 3 June 2010,  Official Report, column 592. The Government will lead a full debate about our current gun laws once we know more about the tragic shootings in Cumbria.

Firearms

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what percentage of recorded crime involved a firearm in 2008-09;
	(2)  how many recorded crimes involving a firearm there were in  (a) 2008 and  (b) 2009;
	(3)  what percentage of recorded crime involving a firearm involved  (a) shotguns,  (b) rifles and  (c) imitation weapons in 2008-09.

James Brokenshire: Available information was included in the most recent chapter on offences involving firearms, published within Home Office Statistical Bulletin 01/10 in January 2010. Firearms are taken to be involved in a crime if they are fired, used as a blunt instrument or used as a threat.
	Firearms (including air weapons) were reported to have been used in 14,250 recorded crimes in 2008-09. These accounted for 0.3% of all recorded crimes, or one in every 330. Firearm offences as a proportion of all recorded crime by principal weapon category are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Offences recorded by the police in which firearms were reported to have been used( 1) , by weapon type: England and Wales, 2008-09 
			  Principal weapon  Number of offences  % of all recorded crime 
			 Shotgun 619 0.01 
			 Handgun 4,275 0.09 
			 Rifle 89 0.00 
			 Imitation firearm 1,511 0.03 
			 Unidentified firearm 953 0.02 
			 Other firearm 761 0.02 
			 All firearms excluding air weapons 8,208 0.17 
			
			 Air weapon 6,042 0.13 
			 Total 14,250 0.30 
			 (1) By weapon being fired, used as a blunt instrument or in a threat.

Independent Police Complaints Commission

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many former police officers are engaged by the Independent Police Complaints Commission to undertake investigations into their former forces; and if she will take steps to end that practice.

Nick Herbert: The Independent Police Complaints Commission has a team of investigators from varying backgrounds. The way in which they are deployed is an operational matter for the IPCC which will write to the hon. Member direct.

Passports: Fraud

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the outcome was of the investigation by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency into the use of counterfeit British passports in the killing of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh on 19 January 2010; what co-operation the Agency received from the government of Israel; what discussions  (a) officials and Ministers of her Department,  (b) officials of the Identity and Passport Service and  (c) officials of the Serious and Organised Crime Agency have had on the issue with representatives of the government of Israel; what the outcome of such discussions was; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 10 June 2010
	The outcome of the Serious Organised Crime Agency's investigation was reported by the then Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary in his statement to the House of 23 March.
	An officer of the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) had discussions with the Israeli police but there were no discussions between representatives of the Government of Israel and Home Office Ministers, officials of the Department, officials of the Identity and Passport Service, or officers of SOCA.

Railways: Construction

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will include within the High Speed Two Exceptional Hardship Scheme consultation people affected on tunnelled stretches of the proposed route.

Philip Hammond: The Government are currently consulting on an Exceptional Hardship Scheme in relation to the proposed high speed line from London to the West Midlands. The consultation is due to end on 17 June and we have received a number of responses from people living over or near tunnelled sections of the route. We will look carefully at the suggestions made by all respondents in deciding how to proceed.

Travel: Energy

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department had with the Energy Saving Trust on the environmental effects of the materials used in the Trust's marketing campaign promoting a free travel energy check.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport has not had any discussions with the Energy Saving Trust (EST) about this matter. EST has a corporate sustainability policy that looks to minimise the environmental impact of all marketing materials it commissions. The Transport Energy Check materials have been printed on 100% recycled and chlorine-free paper which is sourced from paper mills with approved environmental systems.

Armed Conflict: Diamonds

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme in ensuring that trade in diamonds does not fund violence.

Henry Bellingham: Neither the Government nor the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) have formally reviewed the effectiveness of the KPCS in preventing the trade in diamonds funding violence. However, compliance with KPCS requirements is monitored and evaluated through a 'Peer Review' system. Teams of experts representing KPCS governments, civil society groups and industry visit selected KPCS states every year to review implementation of the KPCS and if necessary investigate reports of diamonds contributing to violence. Review reports are discussed by KPCS members at the annual Plenary and Intersessional meetings. Action can be taken against states shown to be persistently failing to implement the KPCS, including suspension. The June 2010 KPCS intersessional in Tel Aviv will include looking at ways the KPCS can be more effective. The UK is attending as part of the EU delegation.

Colombia and Peru: EU External Trade

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will bring forward proposals for the House to participate in the formulation of EU free trade agreements with  (a) Colombia and  (b) Peru.

Jeremy Browne: The negotiations for the EU Multi Party Trade Agreement with Colombia and Peru were concluded in March. The Agreement will now undergo legal scrubbing and will then be translated. It will have to be determined whether the final agreement will need to be concluded by the EU and ratified by national parliaments. Once the final text is available European Council legal advisers will determine whether it needs to be concluded by the EU and ratified by national parliaments. In any event the Council decision on signature and conclusion of the agreement by the EU will be deposited for scrutiny with the EU Scrutiny Committee in both Houses.

Departmental Flags

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on flying the Union flag each day from each official building for which his Department is responsible.

Henry Bellingham: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) issues guidance for the flying of the Union flag on UK Government buildings. The guidance encourages the Union flag to be flown 365 days a year, and as a minimum all Departments must fly the Union on the 19 special designated days, for example HM the Queen's birthday, Remembrance Day, etc and other special occasions as required, for example, the State Opening of Parliament. More information on the guidance is available on the DCMS website:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/honours/7124.aspx
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, flies the Union flag 365 days of the year on buildings in the United Kingdom. At our posts overseas the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961) provides in article 20 that:
	"The mission and its head shall have the right to use the flag and emblem of the sending state on the premises of the mission, including the residence of the head of mission, and on his means of transport".
	Missions in Commonwealth countries fly the Union flag, the Diplomatic flag is flown at diplomatic posts and the Consular flag is flown at consular posts.
	We advise our posts that the flag, whether that be Union, Diplomatic or Consular, be flown at the Chancery building on all working days during office hours. Flags at the Head of Mission's residence, should be flown only on days of local celebration or mourning, on the 19 special designated days and during the stay of one of Her Majesty's ships.

Departmental Official Cars

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the  (a) make,  (b) model and  (c) place of manufacture is of the car allocated for the use of each Minister in his Department.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has five cars allocated to its Ministers. Three Toyota Prius' that were manufactured in Japan, one Vauxhall Vectra Diesel manufactured in Germany and one Jaguar XJL manufactured in the UK.
	These arrangements are changing following the publication of the new Ministerial Code which states that:
	"the number of Ministers with allocated cars and drivers will be kept to a minimum, taking into account security and other relevant considerations. Other Ministers will be entitled to use cars from the Government Car Service Pool as needed".
	Cabinet Office has provided clarification on how the Code should be interpreted. The expectation is that Ministers not in the Cabinet will use the pool service and that Cabinet Ministers who have an allocated car will wish to consider how that car might be utilised by other Ministers within the Department before calls are made on the Government Car Service Pool.
	The Department for Transport and its Government Car and Despatch Agency are working with Departments to effect the transition to the new arrangements.

Departmental Official Hospitality

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what budget his Department has allocated for entertainment, including alcohol, in each of the next three years.

Alistair Burt: In 2010-11 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has currently budgeted £7.67 million on a wide range of activities designed to establish and cultivate contacts throughout its network of over 250 overseas Posts as well as diplomatic activity in the UK. This represents under 0.9% of our annual discretionary departmental budget. Activities funded from this budget include working meetings with Ministers in the UK, meetings with senior political and military figures from host countries and events hosted for political and business delegations (including those in support of UKTI) abroad, to promote and defend wider British interests.
	Budgets in the FCO are devolved and funds currently earmarked for business hospitality purposes can and will be used to fund other activities in pursuit of FCO and wider Government objectives, both in the UK and in our posts overseas. These budgets were originally set earlier this year and are subject to review and further adjustment as part of our internal Quarterly Budget Review process.
	No budgets have been set for 2011-12 or 2012-13 and the FCO will decide allocations for these years in the light of the Spending Round that is expected to be conclude this autumn.
	Any expenditure on business hospitality is kept under rigorous scrutiny to ensure value for money and effectiveness and is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity, Propriety and Value for Money.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent estimate is of the annual cost to the public purse of the Ministerial private offices in his Department.

Alistair Burt: In 2010-11 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has currently budgeted £3.272 million for the administrative and civil service pay costs of Ministerial Private Offices. This figure excludes the costs of ministerial travel which are published to Parliament on an annual basis. FCO budgets are subject to review and further adjustment as part of our internal Quarterly Budget Review process. All expenditure is kept under rigorous scrutiny to ensure value for money and effectiveness and is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Government Hospitality: Wines

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the value is of the Government Wine Cellar.

Henry Bellingham: The Government wine cellar is valued in accordance with guidelines issued by the National Audit Office and currently has an estimated value of £864,000, a reduction of approximately £13,000 since this question was tabled by the hon. Member for Monmouth (David T. C. Davies) in December 2009.

Kashmir

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is towards Kashmir; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The long standing position of the UK is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution to the situation in Kashmir, one which takes into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the UK to prescribe a solution or to mediate in finding one. We welcome the positive steps being taken by India and Pakistan to build trust and confidence between them.

Pakistan: Religious Freedom

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the government of Pakistan on religious discrimination in that country and the effects of section 295-C of Pakistan's Penal Code on Ahmadi Muslims.

Alistair Burt: The Government condemn all forms of unfair discrimination, including those based on religion. We regularly raise our concerns with the Government of Pakistan, both bilaterally and through the EU. We have raised our concerns with regard to section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code which deals with the offence of blasphemy. We believe this law should be amended to prevent its abuse, and also that it should not attract the death penalty.

Pakistan: Religious Freedom

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government has made to the government of Pakistan on the attacks on Ahmadi Muslims in Lahore, Pakistan on 28 May; what response has been received; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The Government condemn all forms of violence and discrimination against individuals or groups, irrespective of their faith or belief. The attacks on the Ahmadiyya mosques in Lahore on 28 May were a tragic example of the discrimination faced by the Ahmadiyya community.
	Our high commissioner in Islamabad has raised the attacks and the discrimination suffered by the Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan with the Chief Minister of Punjab along with his EU colleagues, and the issue has also been raised by our high commission with the Pakistani Ministries of Interior and Minorities.
	The Government of Pakistan at federal and provincial level have underlined how seriously they take these attacks, and are overseeing an immediate police investigation into the incident.

Palestinians: International Assistance

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received a response from the government of Israel to his statement of 5 June 2010 calling for an end to the closure of Gaza.

Alistair Burt: We continue to discuss these issues with the Government of Israel and our international partners-including members of the Quartet and the EU. There has been a slight easing in some of the items allowed into Gaza which we welcome. But we continue to call for more significant steps to lift Gaza's closure. As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has made clear, it is important that there is unfettered access to meet the humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza and to enable the reconstruction of people's homes, livelihoods and trade.

Thailand: Politics and Government

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his latest assessment is of the political situation in Thailand; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: I am deeply concerned by the recent violence and loss of life in Bangkok. As a friend of Thailand the UK wishes to see all sides engage in an urgent process of national reconciliation to address the underlying social, economic and political causes of the recent violence and instability. I welcome the announcement by Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva that an independent inquiry will take place into the violence that took place. I also welcome Prime Minister Abhisit's announcement of efforts to address the underlying causes of the violence through a five-point reconciliation roadmap, which includes commitment to tackle economic disparities and inequality, and the involvement of all parties in the process of reconciliation. We are encouraging the Thai authorities to take forward this process as a matter of urgency.
	We underlined our concern in a statement to the Human Rights Council on 31 May. On 21 May the High Representative of the European Union, Baroness Ashton, also made a statement on behalf of the EU.

Regional Spatial Strategies

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress he has made on the ending of regional spatial strategies.

Greg Clark: We committed in the Queen's Speech to abolishing regional strategies. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, has written to all council leaders saying that he expects them to have regard to this as a material planning consideration in any decisions they are currently taking.

Advantage West Midlands

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps are being taken to ensure even distribution of funding across the West Midlands by the Advantage West Midlands regional development agency.

Mark Prisk: I have been asked to reply
	It is for the RDA to determine the level of spend in line with local and regional priorities and these are set out in the corporate plan. In agreeing these priories, the RDA has a duty to consult with regional partners and stakeholders including local authorities.

Advantage West Midlands

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment his Department has made of the value-for-money of funding provided by Advantage West Midlands for residents of Redditch.

Mark Prisk: I have been asked to reply
	There have not been any value-for-money assessments specific to Redditch. The National Audit Office (NAO) led an independent performance assessment in 2006-07 which judged AWM to be performing well. The report highlighted in particular AWM's consistent achievement of targets and its strong evidence base. An independent supplementary review of all RDAs is also being carried out by the NAO which is due to be published soon.

Community Development: Northamptonshire

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on the future of  (a) the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation and  (b) the West Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit.

Andrew Stunell: The Government will be reviewing West Northamptonshire Development Corporation's (WNDCs) future work programme against the Government's priorities taking account of the previously announced wind up date of 2013-14 and the potential for transition to a local authority led regeneration body. The Government are committed to decentralisation and achieving efficiencies and WNDC will be contributing to the efficiency savings planned by the Department of Communities and Local Government.
	The West Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit (WNJPU), which is entirely separate from WNDC, was constituted at the request of the three local planning authorities and Northamptonshire county council under section 29 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. The Act provides that the joint committee can be dissolved at the request of a constituent authority.

Housing: Construction

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effect of ending the South West regional spatial strategy on active house building in Cornwall.

Greg Clark: We are absolutely committed to abolishing regional strategies, including regional housing targets and will introduce legislation in the first Session to do so. The Secretary of State has written to all local authority leaders and the Planning Inspectorate confirming the Government's intention and that letter can be used as a material consideration in planning decisions.
	Cornwall council will now be able to make its own decisions on housing supply. We will introduce strong incentives so that the benefits of growth in jobs, investment and housing are enjoyed by local people.

Housing: Construction

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the proposed numbers of houses in the eco-town development at St Austell will count towards the total housing need in the mid-Cornwall area.

Grant Shapps: Cornwall council will be able to make its own decisions on the level of housing supply to plan for based on its own evidence. The St Austell eco-town will help to meet their needs like any other new development.

Housing: Construction

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the appropriateness of local authority housing targets in Cornwall in light of the ending of the South West regional spatial strategy.

Greg Clark: It is for local authorities to assess the appropriateness of local housing targets in the context of preparing and maintaining local plans whose soundness is subject to the public scrutiny through examination in public.

Housing: Construction

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will call in planning applications 09/00013/COND10, 09/00014/COND8, 09/00018/COND6, 09/00023/COND10, 09/00023/COND8, 09/00029/COND6 and 09/01301/OUT for decision by his Department on the grounds that they are applications to build on green belt land; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: The planning applications referred to have yet to be considered by Tewkesbury borough council, the local planning authority, and it would be inappropriate to comment on them. However, the local planning authority has confirmed that none of the land subject to these planning applications involves land designated as green belt.
	The borough council has the discretion to review the scale of housing development required in the borough since the intention to abolish RSS was confirmed by the Secretary of State in letter of 27 May to all council leaders.

Travellers: Caravan Sites

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to withdraw ODPM 01/06 instructing planning inspectors to presume in favour of otherwise illegal gypsy encampments.

Andrew Stunell: In the Coalition Agreement the Government stated that they will publish and present to Parliament a simple and consolidated national planning framework covering all forms of development. An announcement on how we propose to take forward the national planning framework and the implications for specific areas of planning policy will be made in due course.
	The Secretary of State wrote to all local authority chief planners prior to the Whitsun bank holiday weekend to remind them of the potential risks of unauthorised development and to draw their attention to the existing enforcement powers at their disposal to deal with such breaches of planning control.

British Educational Communications and Technology Agency

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his most recent estimate is of the savings to the public purse arising from the closure of Becta.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 8 June 2010
	 We expect that the closure of BECTA will save £10 million in 2010-11 after all costs have been met, and that savings in subsequent years will be in the order of £65 million per year.

Free Schools

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he plans to provide support to parents and groups to transfer to the status of free schools  (a) existing state schools and  (b) schools planned for closure; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 2 June 2010
	We have yet to take decisions about whether and, if so, what level of support will be provided to free schools. We will make this information available in due course.

School Leaving

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has for the level of the compulsory participation age in relation to education and training in  (a) 2013 and  (b) 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: We have set out in "The coalition-our programme for government" our plans for education policy over the coming months and years. We are currently developing plans for specific policy areas. We will be able to give further details in due course.

Sure Start Programme

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will undertake public consultation before any change is made to the priorities of the Sure Start programme.

Sarah Teather: holding answer 7 June 2010
	The coalition document published on 20 May states that the Government will take Sure Start back to its original purpose of early intervention, increase its focus on the neediest families, and better involve organisations with a track record of supporting families; investigate ways of ensuring that providers are paid in part by the results they achieve; and refocus funding from Sure Start peripatetic outreach services, and from the Department of Health budget, to pay for 4,200 extra Sure Start health visitors. In implementing these priorities for Sure Start Children's Centres, the Government will follow its normal protocols, including public consultation where appropriate.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which Ministers in his Department have been issued with  (a) a Blackberry,  (b) an iPhone,  (c) another make of mobile telephone and  (d) a personal digital assistant supplied by the Department.

Andrew Mitchell: The Minister of State and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department for International Development (DFID) have each been issued with a Blackberry.

Overseas Aid: Public Consultation

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development by what mechanism the public will be able to influence the way in which elements of his Department's budget are spent; to what proportion of his Department's budget this will apply; and what consultation he plans to undertake on this proposal.

Andrew Mitchell: The commitment to "create new mechanisms to give British people a direct say in how an element of the aid budget is spent" was laid out in 'The Coalition: Our Programme for Government'. Further details are being developed and will be shared with Parliament in due course.